Linux Home Backup Script (rsync + systemd)

A production-style Bash backup script using rsync, designed for reliability, automation, and system administration practice.

This project demonstrates:

• Incremental backups
• File exclusions
• Logging
• systemd timer automation
• Safe restoration procedures

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📌 Features

• Copies only new and modified files
• Preserves:
  • ownership
  • permissions
  • ACLs
  • extended attributes
  • hard links
• Supports multiple source directories
• Excludes cache and trash
• Logs all activity
• Email notifications
• Automated via systemd timer
• Safe error handling (set -euo pipefail)

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🧠 How It Works

The script:

1. Ensures it runs as root
2. You can backup multiple directories by listing them in SOURCES array in /etc/home-backup.conf:

SOURCES=(
  "/home/user/Documents/"
  "/home/user/Downloads/"

4. Builds dynamic --exclude arguments
5. Executes rsync with proper flags
6. Logs output and exit status
7. Returns correct exit code for automation

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🗂 Configuration

Copy the example config to /etc:

sudo cp home-backup.conf.example /etc/home-backup.conf

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🔄 rsync Command Used

rsync -aAXHv \
  --delete \
  "${RSYNC_EXCLUDE[@]}" \
  "$SRC" "$DST"

Flags Explained

Flag	Purpose
-A	Preserve ACLs
-X	Preserve extended attributes
-H	Preserve hard links
-v	Verbose output
--delete	Mirror destination
--exclude	Ignore specified patterns

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🚀 Installation

1. Copy the script:

sudo cp home-backup.sh /usr/local/bin/

2. Make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/home-backup.sh

3. Normal launch or Dry-run

sudo home-backup.sh

4.(Optional) Dry-run(check only, no copying)

sudo ./home-backup.sh --dry-run

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⏱ Automation with systemd

Copy the service and timer files:

sudo cp systemd/home-backup.* /etc/systemd/system

Reload systemd and enable the timer:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now home-backup.timer

Check status:

systemctl list-timers

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📜 Logs

View log file:

sudo tail -n 50 /var/log/rsync-home-backup.log

Or via journal:

journalctl -u home-backup.service

The script can send email alerts when a backup fails. Example configuration:

ALERT_EMAIL="admin@example.com"

Required packages:

sudo apt install mailutils

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🔄 Restore Procedure

Full restore:

sudo rsync -aAXHv \
  /media/user/UUID/home_backup/ \
  /home/

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🏗 Future Improvements

• Snapshot support (--link-dest)
• Email notifications on failure
• Integrity verification
• Migration to borg or restic
• Remote backup via SSH

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🎯 Project Purpose

This project demonstrates:

• Practical Bash scripting
• Proper rsync usage
• systemd timer automation
• Logging and error handling
• Production-style Linux administration workflow